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Bus Discussion => Bus Topics ( click here for quick start! ) => Topic started by: ridgeroadrunner on December 15, 2012, 08:11:43 PM

Title: Lighting Help Please
Post by: ridgeroadrunner on December 15, 2012, 08:11:43 PM
where do you find 12 volt DC Fluorescent light fixtures  for indirect lighting. One of my  fixture's is broke and iam trying to find a replacement.
Title: Re: Lighting Help Please
Post by: Lin on December 15, 2012, 08:35:55 PM
Not sure exactly what you are looking for, but have you tried Camping World or similar?  Amazon and Ebay or also good places to search.
Title: Re: Lighting Help Please
Post by: belfert on December 16, 2012, 12:16:47 AM
Solarseller.com has a full selection of DC fluorescent light fixtures at decent prices.
Title: Re: Lighting Help Please
Post by: Len Silva on December 16, 2012, 07:49:12 AM
Find the part number on the ballast and Google that.
Title: Re: Lighting Help Please
Post by: Hi yo silver on December 16, 2012, 08:05:46 AM
Wouldn't many older urban buses have them? Plenty of them being retired. Personally, I have had a problem finding a 110 volt dimmable ballast.
Dennis
Title: Re: Lighting Help Please
Post by: pvcces on December 16, 2012, 10:07:30 PM
Check with Luke at US Coach. He can get you the ones for buses, and they will be better built than RV ones, I expect.
good luck.

Tom Caffrey
Title: Re: Lighting Help Please
Post by: goutoe on December 17, 2012, 07:31:59 AM
Jeff my bus has the old florescent fixtures built in to the cabinets, two of the ballasts have gone bad Ive checked everyhere I can think of for replacements found none, so I am making the change to LED strip lighting, I have eveything bought to make the change, hope to complete it this winter, I have bought most of the strip lights on Ebay and found all kinds of flat mount lighting at Menards, it is all 12volt DC. very easy to wire.

                                                                                                            John.
Title: Re: Lighting Help Please
Post by: TomC on December 17, 2012, 08:01:10 AM
I saw a comparison in lumens per watt produced (I believe I saw the comparison online). Florescent lights and LED lights are so close that maybe the extra cost for LED's isn't worth it. I like the light that comes out of florescent lights. LED's have a more focused beam that requires multiple LED's or a lens.  Good Luck, TomC
Title: Re: Lighting Help Please
Post by: Oregonconversion on January 09, 2013, 12:43:47 AM
I would just go with high output LEDs. Such better light quality. You can get the color spectrum that you like too. I like very cool lighting myself.
Title: Re: Lighting Help Please
Post by: Ed Hackenbruch on January 09, 2013, 04:30:23 AM
Last spring i replaced all but one of my florescent tubes with led tubes.  Yanked out the ballast resistors and wired the new bulb in. One new tube replaced two old tubes, gives out more light, uses less juice, does cost more but should last a lot longer. Been very happy with them so far.  Finally replaced the other one just a couple of days ago.
Title: Re: Lighting Help Please
Post by: Sam 4106 on January 09, 2013, 09:18:05 AM
Ed, please share your source. I would like to change some of my 18" tubes as the ballasts fail. Hopefully the single LED won't be much more than a new ballast and two new tubes.

Thanks, Sam

Title: Re: Lighting Help Please
Post by: Ed Hackenbruch on January 09, 2013, 10:38:35 AM
Sam, i got them from a vendor at an rv rally, i think they are called Bright Star or Star Bright or something like that. I just saw them at an RV Parts place the other day. When my lot neighbors get home from shopping i will look at the package for the name.....gave them about a dozen florescent bulbs since they still use them in their bus. :)
Title: Re: Lighting Help Please
Post by: Ed Hackenbruch on January 09, 2013, 11:33:04 AM
Update,   They are the Revolution T8-18 replacement bulb by Starlights Inc.  200% more efficient than a standard fluorescent tube, draws 623 milliamps,  810 lumens, 4500K, says 9-25v  7.1 w, although elsewhere it says that the pulse width modulator guarantees the same light output regardless of voltage fluctuations (11-16 volts).  60,000 hour life expectancy, lasts 12 times longer than a standard fluorescent bulb. Two wires to hook it up and you use the same end brackets. Has a ratcheting design that lets you point the light to the area that you want lit up most, has a light pattern up to 160 degrees. 
Title: Re: Lighting Help Please
Post by: gus on January 09, 2013, 03:33:33 PM
The first place to start looking for anything is google!
Title: Re: Lighting Help Please
Post by: akroyaleagle on January 09, 2013, 05:52:21 PM
Is this what you're looking for?


http://www.solar-electric.com/iotadcballasts.html (http://www.solar-electric.com/iotadcballasts.html)
Title: Re: Lighting Help Please
Post by: Ed Hackenbruch on January 09, 2013, 08:23:24 PM
So i went to Starlights Inc's website and found the bulbs at a higher price than what i paid.  So then i went to Coilnwrap's website and found them for cheaper and you can get a bulk discount.  The folks i got them from are a vendor for them, just found their card, Lloyd "Smitty" & Louise Smith  at  triplecrownsmith@netscape.net    :)
Title: Re: Lighting Help Please
Post by: eagle19952 on January 09, 2013, 09:12:28 PM
all of my fluorescents are ThinLites which are fed 12vDC but the ballasts are inverters, using 110v tubes, i thought al RV style fluor's were built this way, i know they will last 15 years, as i have been rebuilding one a year now for a couple years, dining and kitchen areas first.
(http://ep.yimg.com/ca/I/wind-sun_2241_58731426)(http://ep.yimg.com/ca/I/wind-sun_2241_51975390)

http://www.solar-electric.com/thfiandac.html (http://www.solar-electric.com/thfiandac.html)

http://www.solar-electric.com/nsearch.html?catalog=wind-sun&query=thinlites&x=12&y=11 (http://www.solar-electric.com/nsearch.html?catalog=wind-sun&query=thinlites&x=12&y=11)

i guess i am old school, i still prefer tube tv's...but heres some LED fixtures....ThinLite makes pretty good stuff,something i would prefer that they or someone like them design....

http://www.solar-electric.com/ledlifi.html (http://www.solar-electric.com/ledlifi.html)

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